Truth
by Birchwing
Summary: Who has been murdering Clan cats in cold blood? StarClan has sent a prophecy telling about a litter of kits who will discover the truth. But will they be strong enough to face the killer... and the truth?
1. Allegiances

**BruchClan**

**Leader:** Hawkstar—brown tabby she-cat

**Deputy:** Vipertail—gray and white tom

**Medicine cat:** Robintail—solid brown she-cat

**Warriors:**

**Adderstrike**—gray and white tom

**Appleleaf**—light ginger she-cat

**Badgerclaw**—black tom

**Jayfeather**-light gray she-cat with faint stripes

**Bluefoot**—blue gray she-cat

**Fleckfur**- tortishell she-cat

**Cederfur**- dark gray tom

**Minnowpelt**—silvery gray she-cat

**Shadowclaw**- gray tom

**Rockface**- dark gray tom

**Icecwind**- gray tabby tom

**Kestreltail**-light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices**

**Duskpaw**- dark gray tom

**Dawnpaw**- lighter gray she-cat

**Blackpaw**—black she-cat

**Hazepaw**—gray tom

**Rushpaw**—gray tabby tom

**Vinepaw**- brown tabby tom

**Reedpaw**- gray tom

**Sparrowpaw-** ginger and white she-cat

**Queens**

**Cindertail**—fluffy gray she-cat  
(Pregnant)

**Elders**

**Nightbreeze**—black she-cat

**Maplespots**—brown dappled coat, oldest cat in the Clans, she-cat

**Rosepetal**—ginger she-cat


	2. Prolouge

Featherwing's flanks heaved. The gray she-cat was tiring herself too much, Robintail knew it. The first kit was out of her, but Robintail could tell there were more to come. The brown she-cat placed a gentle paw on Featherwing's side, hoping to stop the she-cat's thrashing.

Featherwing gave another gasp as a second kit forced it's way through.

Robintail nosed the kit until it started mewling, then she let the golden she-cat beside her begin to lick. "That's it Honeypelt, get his blood flowing."

Robintail turned back to the gray queen. Powerful ripples danced down Featherwing's side. A third kit was coming. The queen let out a painful yowl, and as the kit was born, the yowl faded quickly into a soft sigh.

Honeypelt looked up sharply. "Robintail-"

Robintail hung her head briefly, then scooped up the kit with her paw and passed it to Honeypelt. "I know she is dead. But focus on the little lives she brought here. Lick."

The golden queen dipped her head and began to lick. Her own kits watched on, their eyes as wide as moons. Both would become apprentices in two moons, but they would have to get used to sharing a nursery with three newborns.

Robintail dragged the body into the camp clearing. Cats began to surround the body to say their last goodbyes. Robintail set straight off to the leader's den. Hawkstar was watching the camp just from inside her den. Her eyes glinted with sorrow. "So it is true then," she murmured, casting a glance to her sister's body. Robintail nodded.

Hawkstar looked up. "And the three? They have come?" Again, Robintail nodded.

Her eyes lifted to Silverpelt where StarClan's warriors welcomed a new member.

"_The vine is the strength, the reed is wise, and the sparrow will bear the weight of sins she herself had never made. They will reveal the truth one may not wish to know_." Robintail recited the prophecy sent to her by StarClan.

_Vine...Reed…Sparrow…._


	3. Apprentices

Sparrowpaw burst out of the apprentice's den. The ginger and white she-cat spotted her brothers sniffing at the warriors' den entrace. She bounded forward.

"Vinepaw! Reedpaw! What are you doing?"

Vinepaw lifted his brown, striped head. "We're waiting for our mentors. Bluefoot and Badgerclaw were supossed to wake up _ages_ ago."

Reedpaw blinked. "Everyone runs late." Sparrowpaw purred at her brothers. Vinepaw was always so impatient, while Reedpaw was always calm and attentive. He didn't miss a beat, even when Vinepaw began to babble.

Hawkstar, Lilyeye and Adderstrike sharing tounges at the foot of HighRock. Sparrowpaw's ears flicked in the direction of the three cats. Her bright green eyes focused on Lilyeye. Something was wrong. Sparrowpaw could sense something about the deputy, a strange smell tickled Sparrowpaw's nose.

She shook her head and scanned the clearing. "Well, I see Minnowpelt- have fun," she trotted over to the silvery she-cat. "Good morning Minnowpelt!"

Minnowpelt lifted her head. "I supose to want to go hunting. You must be hungry."

Sparrowpaw shrugged. "No, I'll just take a mouse from the pile; we can go hunting after-" Minnowpelt cuffed her sharply over the ear. "No. Sparrowpaw, we always hunt for the Clan first, then we can eat. Apprentices don't eat untill they've hunted or gone on patrol. You know that"

"Oh...okay." Sparrowpaw shook her head._Oops._ She wanted to get every detail of the Clan memorized. Minnowpelt stretched, then began to pad toward the entrance of the camp. Sparrowpaw trotted after her and squeezed through the dence bramble thicket. The smells of the forest hit her nostrils immediatly. She sank her claws into the earth and was pleased by their sharpness.

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Vinepaw crouched. _Okay... I can jump under his legs and unbaclance him... or maybe I should start with a more agressive attack. I could-_

"Vinepaw!" Badgerclaw snapped. "For the last time. Stop thinking of attack plans- you're on defence right now." The black tom sprung forward suddenly, giving no warning to Vinepaw. The brown tabby leapt backward, fur bristling in surprise. He charged forward and slammed head long into his mentor's stomache.

Badgerclaw yowled as Vinepaw's teeth clamped on his tail. The massive tom raised a huge paw and swiped away the apprentice. Vinepaw thudded on the ground witht the wind knocked out of him. Badgerclaw came up to him.

"I told you- defence! You wern't suposed to attack me." Some of the annoyence left his eyes as Vinepaw pushed himself up. "You have a warrior's fighting spirit but I wish you could get some sence in your head. Honestly. Some cat might think you were still a kit."

Vinepaw glared at his mentor, who he was coming to find, was just as stubborn as he was.

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Reedpaw rolled the moss out of Rosepetal's nest. It felt perfectly dry to him, but the elder wouldn't leave him alone untill he got rid of her wet moss. Reedpaw knew better than to defy an elder. _Sometimes it wouldn't hurt to be Vineapaw, _he thought.

He left the camp in search of moss. His favorite spot to get it from was a large oak tree with so many tanngled roots, a cat his size could easily hide in saftly. The tree came in sight and he bounded forward.

He jerked to a stop as suddenly a sharp tangy smell reached his nose. He rememberd the smell from something... _Blood! _He leapt on a tree root and stared down at the scene. A shocked cry rang from his throat. He spun around with out thinking and bolted back to the camp. Trees flew by him as blurs, and he ran through the bramble thincket entrance so fast, thorns snagged in his fur.

Reedpaw must have made quite a sight in the clearing. He let out a wail that brought all the cats running to him. Honeypelt-his foster mother- ran up to him and began licking his fur. "What happened?" she asked.

Hawkstar leapt onto the Highrock. "Reedpaw. Explain why you have just taken out half our entrance!"

Reedpaw trembled. A wheezing sound came from him but it slowly turned into a voice. "Lilyeye is dead!"


	4. A new deputy

The Clan stood wide eyed.

Hawkstar blinked as if she hadn't herd properly. "Lilyeye-Reedpaw...Dead?"

Reedpaw's flanks heaved. "She's by the RootTree... I was getting moss for Rosepetal and I saw her lying there! There's blood and I came back here and I-"

"Silence!" Robintail moved forward. "Kestreltail, Bluefoot, and Appleleaf. You three bring back Lilyeye. We have to figure out what happened to her."

A light brown tabby tom, blue gray she-cat and light ginger she-cat nodded gravly and jumped through the barrirer entrance. Reedpaw watched in silence, his heart thudding. Blackpaw, one of the oldest apprentices, was suddenly at Reedpaw's side. She comfortingly licked his ear. "Why don't you come back to the den. Dawnpaw and Duskpaw are there.

Dawnpaw and Duskpaw were Honeypelt's original kits. They were two moons older than Reedpaw and his siblings, and always were a source of comfort. Reedpaw knew that his mother had died giving birth. He, Sparrowpaw and Vinepaw all knew that Vipertail-their father- had never truly gotten over the death of his mate; they all assumed that his reluctance to do anything that involved the young cats probably came from Featherwing's death.

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Vinepaw edged closer. He and Bardgerclaw had met Kestreltail's patrol, and after listening to the story, decided to follow and help. Now Vinepaw was following Badgerclaw and Bluefoot as they carried the body of Lilyeye back to camp. Appleleaf stayed in the back to watch out for danger.

Lilyeye's long, white tail dragged on the ground. Vinepaw scooped up the tail with his neck to prevent it from getting caught in the gorse. He followed the patrol with thoughts racing through his head. Who had killed the deputy? Why would anycat want her dead? Was the cat still on the territory? Vinepaw had the feeling in the pit of his stomache, that he would soon fine out.

They entered the camp and placed the deputy in the center of the clearing. Hawkstar padded slowly forward, her eyes sparkling with grief. Vinepaw watched his aunt as she bent her head to lick the white she-cat's fur. Rushpaw, Nightbreeze and Redwing came forward first. The Clan began to say their good byes to their lost friend.

Vinepaw padded to the apprentices den where he ment the entire group. Blackpaw was sleeping next to Hazepaw. Rushpaw curled up into a misrable ball. Dawnpaw, Duskpaw, Reedpaw and Sparrowpaw were all awake though.

"What happened?" Dawnpaw asked. The pretty gray she-cat's eyes were as round as moons. Duskpaw's ears pricked.

Vinepaw shrugged. "I wasn't there, but the warriors told me she fell from the tree. But Lilyeye didn't seem like the kind of cat who'd fall out of a tree."

Reedpaw gave his brother a quizzical look. "You think something else happened?"

Vinepaw nodded. "But I don't know what...yet."

Sparrowpaw licked her chest fur. "I knew something was wrong. I felt it." Her eyes blinked slowly, and for a moment, Vinepaw was reminded of Hawkstar.

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At moonhigh, Hawkstar let out the call. She sat on the HighRock and watched her Clan gather below her. "I say these words in front of the body of Lilyeye, so that she may hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of BrushClan will be..." Hawkstar paused, "Vipertail."

The gray and white tom stood up, with a distant-but pleased- look on his face. Sparrowpaw stared at her father in admaration.

"Vipertail! Vipertail!" The Clan chanted congrats to the new deputy. Sparrowpaw padded slowly up to her father. "Congradulations Vipertail," she meowed.

Vipertail gave her a long look- his deep amber eyes hely pride, pain, sorrow and distrust. Sparrowpaw's breath caught in her throat. She padded back to her brothers with her head low.

"He doesn't care about me..." she whispered as she disapeared into the den.


	5. Disscussing

Vinepaw glared at their father. How could he just reject his own kin like that?

Reedpaw followed Sparrowpaw into the den; Vinepaw could hear him mewing quietly to her.

Vinepaw watched as the Clan slowly began to go to their dens. Hawkstar, Suntail, Cindertail and Maplespots lay down to begin their long vigil. In the morning, Maplespots and the other elders would bring Lilyeye to her final resting place.

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In the morning, Sparrowpaw sliped out of her nest and padded outside. The air was warm, and smelled of fresh prey. She had no intention of even looking at her father today. All she wanted to do was battle train and hunt with Minnowtail. She padded to her brothers who were alreay awake and washing.

Vinepaw looked up when she came over. "Morning."

Sparrowpaw sat down beside him. "Morning."

Reedpaw blinked. "Well, now that we've gotten all of the serious talk out of the way..."

Sparrowpaw forced a purr. "What do Bluefoot and Badgerclaw have instore for you both?"

Vinepaw shrugged. "I don't know. But I know what _I'm_ doing today. You two too."

Reedpaw and Sparrowpaw cast suspicious glances at each other. Vinepaw was known to have wild ideas. "What?"

"We're gunna find out what happened to Lilyeye."

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Vinepaw was crazy. That's all there is to it. Reedpaw let out a snort of laughter. "Don't they have rules agaisnt that?" he asked.

Vinepaw shot him a glare. "Rules against finding out what happened to the deputy? I think not." he snapped.

Sparrowpaw shook her head. "No, he means- they already decided she fell out of the tree. Who are we to discard their opinions? We're just apprentices."

"Well not for much longer." Vinepaw shot back. "Blackpaw, Duskpaw and Dawnaw are getting their names tonight! After them, Hazepaw and Rushpaw. We're next after them. Then we'll be warriors."

Sparrowpaw snorted. "Yeah... all we have to do is wait for two more moons before anyone will take us seriously. Great."

Reedpaw laughed inwardly. Vinepaw didn't always think everything through.

"Well... so what? That means two more Gatherings too. So there."

Reedpaw wasn't sure that was true, after all... tonight was a Gathering also. He wasn't exactly sure he wanted to do anything that would take his chances of going out.

Sparrowpaw was also thinking the same thing. "Well, why don't we wait until tomorrow to look at the tree. The Gathering is tonight, and I want to go."

Vinepaw seemed to see the sence in that. "Well... okay, but we are going to go. To the tree and the Gathering."

Reedpaw and Sparrowpaw-and Vinepaw, barley knew what they were getting into; Reedpaw could tell... it would be something big.


	6. Cerimonies

**Ok, I would like to say that if anyone has some suggestions for a lie or event or something that I can work into the story please tell me, so I cankepp the summary.**

**I do not own warriors... but I worship them.**

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey. Join here beneath the HighRock for a Clan meeting!" Hawkstar's yowl rang through the clearing.

Vinepaw and his siblings joined that other apprentices. Hazepaw was washing his fur; he and Rushpaw wouldn't become warriors for another moon. Tonight was Blackpaw, Dawnpaw and Duskpaw's ceremony.

The three apprentices sat at the front of the crowd, their fur was silky smooth, their eyes shinning triumphantly. Honeypelt watched her kits proudly. Vinepaw felt a stab of pain for Blackpaw. Her mother wouldn't watch the ceremony from the crowd, she would watch from StarClan. Dovefeather died a few moons after Blackpaw became an apprentice.

Vinepaw watched the she-cat closely. She had a white underbelly and white paws that did not seem too nervous. Her blue eyes flashed exitedly, and somehow, Vinepaw knew she would be okay with out her mother.

Sparrowpaw's tail waved. "I can't wait until that's us up there!"

Rushpaw gave her a teasing look. "You'll have to wait for me and Hazepaw first."

Sparrowpaw purred. Hazepaw gave his brother a look.

Vinepaw felt a rush of exitment. His paws worked the ground impatiently. "I'm gunna be the best fighter the Clan's ever seen!"

Reedpaw flicked his brother's ear. "You have allot of warriors to live up to."

Vinepaw rolled Reedpaw over onto his back and pined him to the ground. "I like a challange."

Cinertail, the only queen, gave the brothers a cross look. "Hush!"

"I call apon my warrior ansestors to look apon these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Hawkstar jumped down infront of the three young cats.

"Blackpaw,"-the young cat trembled with exitment-"from this moment on, you will be known as Blackfrost. StarClan honor your loyalty and courage and we accept you as a full member of BrushClan."

Blackfrost respectivly licked her leader's shoulder, then steped back. Hawkstar turned to Duskpaw. "Duskpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Duskpelt. StarClan honor your inteligence and your bravery and we accept you as a full warrior of BrushClan."

Dawnpaw's tail twitched exitedly. She was last. "Dawnpaw," Hawkstar seemed to think for a moment. "From now on you will be known as Dawnbreeze. StarClan honor your grace and agility and we accept you as a full warrior of BrushClan."

"Blackfrost! Duskpelt! Dawnbreeze! Blackfrost! Duskpelt! Dawnbreeze!" The Clan chanted the new warriors' names.

Hawkstar was back on the Highrock. "You three must sit your vigle tonight, and gaurd the camp while we attend the Gathering. With me shall come Vipertail, Kestreltail, Redwing, Bluefoot, Rosepetal, Sparrowpaw, Reedpaw and Vinepaw."


	7. Update Allegiances

**BruchClan**

Leader: Hawkstar—brown tabby she-cat

Deputy: Vipertail—gray and white tom

Medicine cat: Robintail—solid brown she-cat

Warriors:

Adderstrike—gray and white tom

Appleleaf—light ginger she-cat

Badgerclaw—black tom

Jayfeather-light gray she-cat with faint stripes

Bluefoot—blue gray she-cat

Fleckfur- tortishell she-cat

Cederfur- dark gray tom

Minnowpelt—silvery gray she-cat

Shadowclaw- gray tom

Rockface- dark gray tom

Icecwind- gray tabby tom

Kestreltail-light brown tabby tom

Duskpelt- dark gray tom

Dawnbreeze- lighter gray she-cat

Blackfrost—black she-cat

Apprentices

Hazepaw—gray tom

Rushpaw—gray tabby tom

Vinepaw- brown tabby tom

Reedpaw- gray tom

Sparrowpaw- ginger and white she-cat

Queens

Cindertail—fluffy gray she-cat  
Hailkit- fluffy gray she-kit  
Leafkit- light brown tabby she-kit  
Falconkit- black tom(Bark&Vally)  
Ravenkit- black tom(Bark&Vally)

Elders

Nightbreeze—black she-cat

Maplespots—brown dappled coat, oldest cat in the Clans, she-cat

Rosepetal—ginger she-cat


	8. The Gathering

**Thanks for the reviews, and - for my critic- I do realize how many names end in "tail" but, it's too late to change that! lol! So in any reviews, please feel free to offer an idea for the story, based on it's summary. I'll work it in to the plot!**

The Gathering was just as exiting as Sparrowpaw's first day of apprenticeship. She remaind watchful of all the cats around her. MossClan's wild grass scent filled in her nostrils. For good reason; Poppyleaf and Timberpaw-two MossClan cats- were having a conversation with two BrookClan cats Sparrowpaw had never met.

Timberpaw's tail was held high. Sparrowpaw had left her brothers to fawn over Snowpaw, a pretty white PineClan apprentice, and went in search of some cat to talk to. Timberpaw had always been her friend since their first Gathering.

"Hi Timberpaw!" Sparrowpaw meowed.

The tabby tom lifted his head and nodded to her, with an exitment growing in his eyes.

Sparrowpaw watched Hawkstar leap onto the GreatTree next to the other three leaders. Ripplestar, the leader of MossClan nodded his head to her. Hawkstar returned the nod. Shadestar of BrookClan kept her distance form the other leaders. Sparrowpaw's eyes locked onto who must have been, Pricklestar- leader of PineClan. She had never seen him before because the last Gathering she went to, the deputy Icewhisker was taking his place.

Pricklestar's dark tabby pelt blended into his background better than Shadestar's black fur. However his bright amber eyes shone brightly.The leader let out a yowl. Sparrowpaw seated herself beside Birchpaw, another friend.

The clearing fell silent. Sparrowpaw scented her brothers near her, and when she turned her head she saw them sitting next to Snowpaw and Rabbitpaw. She silenced a purr as Pricklestar began to speak.

"Tonight I bring news of only a fox in our territory. It had discovered our camp-" Sparrowpaw thought she saw him shoot a glare at one of the PineClan apprentices-"and we were _forced _to kill it."

Sparrowpaw leaned over to Birchpaw. "Why did he look so angry?"

Birchpaw made and uncomfortable shrug. "It killed a kit."

Sparrowpaw's eyes stretched wide. "Oh..." But she turned her head up as Shadestar came forward. "BrookClan have eaten well this moon. The fish are swiming strong and there have been no twolegs to report. However, one of our elders has passed into StarClan. Stonereed is watching us from StarClan."

Stonereed was well known in the Clans. He did his fare share of good deeds for the clans. A few cats called out "how did he die?"

Shadestar's eyes softened. "He fell from a tree... StarClan knows what he was doing up there, but they wanted him."

Sparrowpaw saw Hawkstar's eyes stretch for a moment; she tried to keep just sympathy in er eyes.

Ripplestar padded up next. His striped gray pelt rippled like water as he moved. "I am proud to announce that we have named a new warrior. His vigil was last night and tonight he stands with us as Timberclaw."

Sparrowpaw shot the tom and congradilitory look. That's why he was so exited.

"I also need to inform everyone that Ivywind has died. She... sliped off a rock and drowned in the small pool."

Cats made surprised cries.

Hawkstar stood up next.

"He have had an unfortunate tradgetly, as the rest of you," she began. "Lilyeye is nolonger with us. She too fell off a tree-Pricklestar snorted. Almost every cat in the clearing hissed at him. "Well it looks like you Clans can't climbe trees."

Hawkstar stared at him for a moment. "Vipertail is my new deputy." She waited for the congrats to stop. "I would like to report _three_ new warriros. Dawnbreeze, Duskpelt and Blackfrost are sitting vigil tonight."

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After the Gathering was over, Sparrowpaw and her brothers- lying in their nests- were disscusing it.

"Can you belive a cat from every Clan died?" Reedpaw asked.

"Yeah, and they all fell off a tree or rock, exept for that kit." Sparrowpaw added.

Vinepaw spoke up. "So you know what that means?"

Sparrowpaw and Reedpaw gave him questioning looks.

"We need to find out what happend."

"Oh Vinepaw, not that again."

"Well we do! And tommorrow becasue you both promised."

**Okay, in the next chapter is when things start to flow with the prophecy.**


	9. RootTree

**Okay, in this chapter some of the Prophecy shows it's ugly head. Muwahhahahaha!**

Vinepaw didn't have a clue. Mediling in the deaths of warriors had to be against the warrior code somehow. Reedpaw thought Sparrowpaw had the right idea. She flat out refused to return to that tree; she would keep watch in case any warriors should come by.

Reedpaw wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of snooping around the RootTree again, but he wanted to be like Vinepaw. He wanted to be couragous and adventourous. In all the stories Maplespots and Nightbreeze told them as kits, all of the great warriors were brave and loyaly ambisious, not a coward who looked over every sistuation again and again.

Reedpaw followed his brother into the brush. He could feel Sparrowpaw's bright eyes following him untill they had disapeared into the forest. Reedpaw realized he was falling behind his brother.

"Hey!" he called as he picked up the pace. Reedpaw practicly crashed into his brother who was at a compleat stop.

"Mouse dung! What are you doing mouse brain?" he spat. Then Reedpaw lifted his eyes to the scene.

There was a few drops of scattered blood, broken undergrowth and a strong smell of BrushClan- but that was not unusual.

Vinepaw shook his head. "Probly just a messy rabbit catch," he meowed. Reedpaw nodded, but something still felt wrong.

Vinepaw began to sniff around the tree base. "Well all scents are gone by now... but let's look at the tree. Claw marks or something..." he began to pull himself up the tree. Reedpaw tilted his head back. "What do you see?" he called.

Vinepaw's voice was muffled. "Claw marks...two sets...Oh! Here is were she fell!"

"How do you know?"

"'Cause the claw mark slices down this branch. StarClan, she was holden on." A leaf fluttered down from the tree. Reedpaw batted his paw at it. "So you think she sliped?"

Vinepaw's head popped up over the edge of a branch. "No. She was pushed." His head disapeared again.

"Be carefull," Reedpaw called up. "You're sure?"

"Yeah- hey incomeing!" Vinepaw was suddenly on a much lower branch. He jumped to the ground and landed with a grunt. Reedpaw jumped back. "Hey, give a cat some warning!"

Vinepaw spat something out. "Lillyeye didn't get a warning."

Reedpaw sniffed. "What'd you bring down?"

"Have a look," Vinepaw rolled the ball of fur to her brother.

"Black and white fur?"

"Yeah," Vinepaw said proudly. "I found it on a small branch."

"So?" Reedpaw was getting tierd of this.

Vinepaw rolled his eyes at his brother's innoccence. "Lillyeye had only white fur. _This,_" he nodded at the ball of fur, "belongs to our killer. I was right. Lillyeye was murdered."


	10. Caught

**Okay, well the prophecy kinda started in the last chapter... they're beginning to fighure out the truth!**

* * *

Vinepaw made sence. He knew it. He saw Reedpaw's eyes flashed with insight. Vinepaw knew he was right. _Ha! Told you so!_

Reedpaw blinked the shock from his eyes. "Should we tell Hawkstar?"

Vinepaw glared at his brother. "No! Are you kidding? Hawkstar won't even care! She'll just punish us for nothing!"

Reedpaw shrugged. "She might listen; besides we're her kin. She might-"

"No!" Vinepaw butted in, "I'm not saying anything to _auntie_ Hawkstar! And nither are you. Brothers' honor?"

"Fine. But still...we have to tell _someone."_

Vinepaw gave his brother a snort. _Stupid._ "We're telling Sparrowpaw aren't we?"

Reedpaw closed his eyes. "Mouse brain," he murmerd. Vinepaw wasn't sure if he was talking to him or himself. Out of pride, he didn't ask.

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Sparrowpaw worked the ground with her claws anxiously. Vinepaw and Reedpaw had been gone for awhile and she was getting worried. "Mouse brains probably can't even find their own tail...no telling where they are now," she muttered as she padded through the forest to the RootTree.

A strange scent tickled her nose again... it was the same scent that hit her on the day Lilyeye died...it was so familiar...

"Blood!"

Sparrowpaw charged forward. Forgetting all about her brothers, she ran faster as the tree came into sight. A second scent began to entwine with the blood scent. Twolegplace... a cat...maybe a kittypet, or a rouge. She jumped over a fallen tree and only got a quick view of the tree.

"Rainpaw? Vinepaw?" She called to her brothers, but neither answered. As the blood scent grew stonger, Sparrowpaw had a wild thought. Images she rather would not have seen flashed into her mind. She feared for her brothers.

"Rainpaw! Vinepaw!" A note of hysteria entering her call, but she quickly calmed down when she realized that their scent held no tint of blood and that it was also getting stale. They were probably back at the camp. Sparrowpaw cut her next call short. That would mean her brothers were safe. And _that _would mean that some other cat was bleeding._ Oh StarClan!_

Sparrowpaw let out an unexpected yowl as she sliped on one of the roots and began to tumble down the hill it was on. She hit the ground with a thud. Her nose wrinkled unpleasently as the sharp tangy smell of blood hit her again. A voice in her head told her to keep her eyes closed. But Sparrowpaw didn't listen.

She lept to her paws with another yelp. Infront of her were two cats. Blood smeared around their auqwardly lying bodies. The tom was a tabby who was missing one ear, and the she-cat was a brown tabby with white spots over her pelt. Sparrowpaw stood wide eyed at the scene she backed away slowly. "Help..." she whisperd. Then she snapped out of her trance and bolted though the forest. "Help!" she called louder, "Help me! Please some cat hel-oof!"

She landed on her tail after crashing into something black and furry.

Blackfreeze licked her face anxiously. "Sparrowpaw? Are you okay? Sparrowpaw?"

Sparrowpaw forced herself not to say something sarcastic. "There are two cats by the RootTree- they're dead!"

"What?"

_"What?"_ The deep agitated voice of Vipertail sank into Sparrowpaw's fur. Turning his back on his daughter, Vipertail snapped orders. "Jayfeather, Cederfur. Go find out what she's mewing about. Blackfrost...go with them. You," he cast Sparrowpaw a distastefull glare, "come with me. Hawkstar will want to know what you're doing out here with out your mentor's premission."

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Reedpaw kneeded the loose earth with his claws. He and Vinepaw were caught sneaking back into camp. _I hope Sparrowpaw has better luck with this._ Hawkstar was pacing infront of them. Her tail was bristling, but she seemed too worked up to do anything. Badgerclaw and Bluefoot were behind her; Badgerclaw was glaring at his apprentice-Vinepaw would be used to that- but what really hurt Reedpaw was Bluefoot's disapointed look that shown in her eyes. Reedpaw could picture their conversation.

"_Reedpaw, how could be be so stupid? __I thought you were smarter than that. __You disobeyed the warrior code; 'No apprentices are allowed to leave the camp with out their mentor's-or some other cat's- premmision.' Why would you do that?"_

Then Vinepaw's would be like:

_"You foolish mouse brain! Of all the idiotic-unwarrior-like things to do! You broke the warrior code!"_

_"But I did it to defend our deputy! Lillyeye was mur-"_

_"Shut up! If you have any bit of a moth's brain in you, you would have known that was an irresponsible move. No more Gathering's for you. You're confined to the elders' den."_

"Great," he sighed. Then his ears flicked forward. Vipertail was gragging back into camp, a young ginger and white she-cat who was looking defeated and misrible.

"Sparrowpaw!"


	11. Bark and Valley and Punsihments

**Ooo! Here comes chapter 11!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don not own warriors...i wonder if i could marry them tho...**

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Sparrowpaw looked up. Reedpaw was sitting with Vinepaw. Relief washed over her to know her brothers were both safe; fear hit her to know that they were all in trouble though. Vipertail led her to the group of cats. Hawkstar stoped pacing. 

"Good you're all here." Her angered meow frightened Sparrowpaw and she had to lean against Vinepaw for comfort.

Vipertail's tail lashed. "Yes, well.. our little runaway has made a dicovery."

Hawkstar looked interested. "What?"

"Two cats on our territory. Jayfeather and Cederfur and Blackfrost are bringing them back. They'll be here soon."

Hawkstar nodded slowly. "Okay," she mewoed, standing straighter. "What have you three have to say for yourselvs?"

Vinepaw and Reedpaw began hesitantly. "I-we...Me and-"

"It was my idea."

Both brothers' heads turned sharply to Sparrowpaw. The fire had returned to her green eyes. Her head was high. "I wanted to go hunting alone...with out my mentor. I wanted to get used to it. My brothers tried to stop me...I guess they followed me. It wasn't their fault. I shouldn't have gone."

Hawkstar let her eyes wander over the apprentice. "It was a foolish thing to do Sparrowpaw...you all could hae gotten hurt..." she seemed reluctant to punish a cat for wanting to hunt.

Sparrowpaw added on, "The Clan needed fresh-kill..." her eyes wander to the pile and thanked StarClan it was almost empty.

Vipertail lashed his tail. "They broke the warrior code. Punish them _now!"_

Hawkstar looked surprized at his voice. "Vipertail you are my deputy. Suggestions only. I understand these are your kits and you want what's best for them-" Vinepaw snorted and Vipertail's eys darkened as if he didn't think that at all,-"but let me deal with them."

Vipertail started to storm off, changed directions and basicly turned in a sharp circle. Then he almost jumped in the air. "Look, Jayfeather's back!"

The light gray she-cat sliped into the camp. Cederfur and Blackfrost came in pulling the young she-cat Sparrowpaw thought was dead.

"Robintail!" Hawkstar's shrill call brought the medicine cat running. Sparrowpaw saw the tabby tom come in behind them. She looked closer and saw something hanging from his mouth. She turned to ask Blackfrost, but the young warrior was disapearing into the nursery. Robintail pointed with her tail to the tom, and he nodded his head, then followed Blackfrost.

Jayfeather and Cederfur carried the she-cat into the medicine cat den. Sparrowpaw itched to see what was happening. Reedpaw leaned up to her. "Did you see the kits?" he asked.

"Kits!" That explained alot.

Vinepaw looked triumphantly at his siblings. "I guess we're off the hook!"

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"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Hawkstar's call swept though the clearing. After everyone was settled she began.

"As you all have herd by now... we have visitors. Today Sparrowpaw discovered two cats on our territory. The she-cat Vally was kitting when they were attacked. She had two kits that are now in the nursery with Cindertail. The tom, Bark, says he can't remember what attacked him. He and his mate come from twolegplace, but they are not kittypets. Vally has been seriously wounded and we think she may not live. Now," she added, scanning the clearing with her eyes, "we will welcome Bark and his kits and Vally to stay with us. It's up to them really however," she cast a look at the tabby tom, "I would recomend you waiting at least a moon before making the kits move."

Hawkstar ended the meeting leaving Vinepaw to wait for his, Sparrowpaw's and Reedpaw' punishment. He was still unaware of why Sparrowpaw stuck up for them and took the fall for herself. Unaware, but not ungrateful.

Unfortunatly, Badgerclaw and Vipertail came over to them. Badgerclaw gave Vinepaw a loong look, then flicked his tail. "You and Reedpaw go to your nests." The brothers nodded and bolted to their nests.

Vinepaw looked out into the clearing. Badgerclaw had gone, but Vipertail was talking to Sparrowpaw. The young she-cat looked miserable. Vinepaw strained his ears but couldn't hear what they were saying.

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Sparrowpaw started to pad to her nest but Vipertail called her back.

"Yes?" Sparrowpaw couldn't hide the tiredness in her voice, and she didn't try to either.

"Since it was you who planned the big run away, I'll take it apon myself to punish you apropreatly."

"Can you even do that?" Sparrowpaw let some of the old sting into her words again.

"No Gatherings. You'll be staying in camp tommorrow, tending to the elders and helping Robintail with our new _visitors._ You can explain to Minnowpelt why you are being punished." he started to pad away.

"Because you're an ugly frog face that won't be happy unless you and everyone around you is miserable," she muttered crossly.

Vipertail's ears swivled back and he spun around and strode up to her again. "_What_ was that?"

Sparrowpaw seemed uncertain for a moment, only one moment. "You are a horrible cat! A crule sadistic cat who cares for nothing other than his own power-"

Vipertail was furious. "Don't you _ever_ say I care for nothing," each word was dragged out on one breath.

Sparrowpaw blinked. "Why do you hate me?" she asked in a small voice.

Vipertail narrowed his eyes. The question caught him off gaurd, Sparrowpaw could tell.

"Why do you hate me and Reedpaw and Vinepaw? What did we ever do to have you look at us with such dislike?"

Vipertail didn't say anything for a moment. "You killed your mother."


	12. Kits kits kits

**Well it looks like Vipertail has a few issues to work out.**

**Disclaimer: Oh sweet warriors... what I would do to own you!!!**

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Sparrowpaw recoiled in shock. "I-?" 

But Vipertail whiped around and was going back to his nest.

Sparrowpaw stood there for a moment, not quiet sure what to do. She decided just to go back into her den. She slumped down into her nest withought looking at her brothers.

Rushpaw did lick her ear trying to give her comfort her, but Sparrowpaw was unresponsive. She fell into a unseteling sleep.

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Sparrowpaw lifted her head. This was not where she fell asleep. She was outside, the grass was taller and concealed her. A few paces ahead of her, the grass was short in a neat circle. The air smelled of crisp wind, so fresh it sent tingles down her spine. A sweet scent surrounded her, one she used to know, but by now, had faded from her memory.

"Who are you?" Sparrowpaw tried to jump up, but her mussled were so relaxed she could only stand up slowly.

A silvery she-cat stood infront of her. "Hello dear Sparrowpaw. I-"

"Who are you?" Sparrowpaw repeated, with a more commanding tone.

"I am Featherwing. Your mother."

Sparrowpaw gazed longingly at her. "My-my mother?"

Featherwing nodded. "You and your brothers have grown so much... yet you all need to learn so many things..."

Sparrowpaw snorted, "Yeah.. I know, 'learn to obey the warrior code'-"

"No," Featherwing shook her head, "you and your brothers have a destiny that requires knowlage of so many things you will not learn as apprentices. It is your destiny to discover the truth about-"

"Sparrowpaw!"

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Sparrowpaw jerked awake. Everything, the dream, that grass, her mother, began to swirl back into the paws of StarClan. "No!" She cried, "let me go back!"

"Back where?" Jayfeather was standing infront of her, with concern in her eyes. "You were dreaming... But Hawkstar has called a Clan meeting."

"Oh." Sparrowpaw meowed in a small voice. What had her mother meant to tell her?

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Reedpaw turned his head as Sparrowpaw slumped down beside him. "Good morining sunshine. Are you okay?" Something about his sister was off. She wasn't herself.

"I'll explaine later," she meowed.

Hawkstar let out another youwl. "Cindertail has kitted," a few happy mews sprung from the crowd. "Two healthy she-kits. Also, it pains me to say that we have lost a cat. Vally did not survive her attack, and she has joined the stars."

Reedpaw noted how she hadn't said StarClan. He also saw Bark's head hanging low.

Hawkstar continued, "I would like to say now though, I have invited Bark to stay in the Clan as you know, but he does not think here is the best place for him. However, he _has_ agreed for us to raise his kits in honor of the warrior code. They are now, Falconkit and Ravenkit. That is all."

Reedpaw nuged Sparrowpaw. "C'mon, lets go see Cindertail." She agreed silently.

They padded to the nursery. Unfortunatly, they had to pass by Vipertail and Adderstrike. Reedpaw made out part of they're conversation.

"I just don't like it," Vipertail seethed. "Rouges in our Clan. We are raising rouge kits! With _no _StarClan at their backs"

Adderstrike shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I mean- they're just kits."

Vipertail narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Lillyeye was a rouge born cat. We took her in as a kit. And look what she did to our Clan. She's turned it soft. Her and Hawkstar. Now it's up to me to fix our Clan."

Reedpaw tried to catch Adderstrike's responce, but they were at the nursery and had to slip inside it. Cindertail was curled around four kits.

Reedpaw was reeling from what he heard from his father. Did he really hate rouges that much? Lilyeye had done nothing but help the Clan as far as he knew.

One of the kits made a loud mew that brought Reedpaw's attention back. Since Bark's kits were born only a day before Cindertail's than they could easily grow up to think they were all the same age.

Cindertail purred. "I don't mind taking care of two more. I'll love them just as much." she licked a black kit's head. "Those two are Bark's. They're both black. And these two are mine." She then licked a fluffy gray she-kit and then a light brown tabby she-kit. "Hailkit and Leafkit." she meowed proudly.

"They're really cute," Sparrowpaw meowed.

Reedpaw purred. "The Clan's newest warriors."

"Actually, that would be me." Dawnbreeze poked her head into the nursery. She backed out to let Reedpaw and Sparrowpaw through.

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Vinepaw was bouncing with exitment. Reedpaw and Sparrowpaw were padding toward him. Unable to containe his exitment, he blurted out, "I think I have an idea! Reedpaw, did you tell her about what we found?"

Reedpaw shook his head. "No... I got distracted."

Sparrowpaw looked at her brothers. "What'd you find?"

"Fur," Reedpaw explained. "When we were at the RootTree, Vinepaw discovered that Lillyeye was pushed off the tree. And whoever attaked Bark probably killed Lillyeye."

Sparrowpaw's eyes streatched. They began to sparkle with exitment. "And the fur?"

"Well," Vinepaw started, trying his best to sound like he knew _exactly_ what he was talking about, "Lillyeye has-er had only white fur. But the fur we found was white _and black_. So that means Lillyeye didn't fall. Some other cat was with her."

"Do you still have the fur?"

Reedpaw looked at his brother. "You put it in your nest, remember?"

"Oh! Yeah!"

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Sparrowpaw carefully looked over the fur ball. "Mouse brain," she teased Vinepaw. "This is gray fur. Not black."

Vinepaw looked indignant. "Well sorry."

"But we're sure it came from some cat in the Clan?" Reedpaw asked.

Sparrowpaw thought for a momment. _The cat had gray and white fur...probably a tom...has to hate rouges and kittypets, if thats why Lillyeye was targeted..._

Then the name hit her.

"Vipertail!"

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**Alright. Looks like we got ourselves a suspect. Now, unfortunatly, this is the last chapter. BUT the SECOND-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- book will be started in a matter of days.**

**Thank you for all the awsome reviews! Until next time**

**Birchwing**


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